


Surprise?

by SterekShipper



Category: teen wolf - Fandom
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Sad Theo Raeken, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24318955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SterekShipper/pseuds/SterekShipper
Summary: It was Liam’s birthday and he’d celebrated due to bad luck and the supernatural getting in the way. Theo was going to do everything he could to make it the best day ever, if it were the last thing he did.
Relationships: Theo Raeken/Liam Dunbar
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Surprise?

Perfect. Today had to be perfect.  
Liam deserves to have a special birthday. It’s only right after everything Liam’s been through. To make it worse, Liam had a history of bad luck occurring on his birthday. The previous year alone had been in the middle of fighting the hunters. Having your classmates and neighbours trying to kill you is a sure way to dampen the celebrations.

Anger issues aside, Liam is the most understanding person he’s ever met. Were it not for that kindness, that ability to look past the surface, he wouldn’t be here. Liam had saved him from rotting in hell, from an eternity as his sister’s plaything. He’d been given a second chance, the opportunity for redemption. If that hadn’t been enough, Liam didn’t stop there. After graduation, Liam demanded he move in with them, furious at learning he’d been living in his truck for 6 months. It was obvious Liam blamed himself for not realising sooner. There was no fighting a decision when Liam was like this. It wasn’t a request. You didn’t stand a chance, not even his parents.  
That’s how he came to live at the Geyer-Dunbar house. There was an overwhelming sense of family, one in which he was a part of. Then Liam had shown him the one thing he’d wanted the most.  
Love.  
Liam loved and accepted him, flaws and all. He hadn’t reacted well, the unshakable feeling he didn’t deserve such kindness, didn’t deserve affection. He didn’t deserve Liam. Not when he’d tried to destroy their lives. Despite that, Liam had given him the time he needed, had waited patiently until he was ready. They had been together for a year now.  
He could never repay Liam for the life he’d been given, but you can bet he’d try.

It was Liam’s 19th this year.  
There had been an unusual yet eagerly welcomed cease in supernatural attacks for months.  
No villains.  
No wars.  
No fear of impending death.  
Beacon Hills had started to feel like an ordinary town. One that wasn’t the epicentre of pain and loss. It was the perfect time to celebrate, and nothing was going to get in the way.

He had everything planned. Mason would distract Liam whilst he prepared the house. He was baking the cake himself, Liam’s favourite, chocolate and strawberry delight. He had an entire meal lined up, having found the recipes to make more than basic party food. He was _not_ giving Liam party pies and sandwiches. He also had Liam’s dessert of choice, chocolate pudding with coconut cream. Scott and Stiles were bringing Liam’s present.  
There was a playlist with all of Liam’s most played songs on CD, ready to insert. Liam’s love of music was endearing. It didn’t matter what it was; Liam listened to any genre and owned a CD player, record player, iPod and sound system.  
He knew Liam would appreciate the attention to detail, when he’d made the CD, as Liam felt iPods were less personal. Anyone could download an endless list of songs, but it took care to decide which songs made it onto a disk.  
Nothing had been left to chance.

Or so he thought.  
He knew he shouldn’t have trusted Scott and Stiles. His phone crackled as he placed it between his shoulder and ear, so he could continue stirring. “Please tell me you’re on your way here.” The line was quiet until he caught Stiles’ hushed ‘you tell him!’ He really had to question how the Pack survived. He’d swear Lydia was the only reason they were still breathing. Well, Lydia and Melissa. “You realise I can hear you, right?”  
“You werewolves and chimeras with your super-hearing.” Stiles would complain.  
“One of you just tell me what you did!”  
Scott sighed and edged around the conversation. “Try to stay calm.” Yeah, right. When has anyone been calm after hearing that?  
“Scott, I swear-”  
“It’s not coming.” He did not hear. He did not just hear that.  
“This had better be a joke.” He struggled to keep his anger under control.  
“There was a delay in shipping. It won’t be here until next week.”  
“Next week?!”  
“They assured us it would be here by today.” Scott was sorry. He could hear it in Scott’s voice, but that didn’t change the fact he was missing Liam’s present.  
“Do you have _any idea_ how long it took me to organise an autographed Jake Miller CD?!”  
Stiles hugged in the background. “Then maybe you should have picked it up.” He had never wanted to throttle Stiles more than he did now.  
“I was going to!”  
“Yet you didn’t.”  
“ _You_ said you would do it!”  
“I think you’ll find that was Scott. I said we should stay far away from it.” Stiles never lost his snark. Even when one of the key pieces for Liam’s party wouldn’t be here in time. This was their fault.  
“I gave you one thing to do. _One_.”  
“We, as mail couriers, apologise for our lack of service.”  
“Stiles!” He could hear Scott’s warning in the background, urging Stiles not to aggravate him any further. A wise move, not that Stiles understood that.  
“It would have been the same no matter who picked it up. You’re not magic, Theo. You wouldn’t have it suddenly appear any faster than we could.” Breathe. Just breathe. He was battling not to crush his phone, with the way he clenched his hand. Just breathe. Stiles was _not_ going to stuff this up. Liam _would_ have his party. He’d just have to wait to give Liam his present. Not ideal, but there was nothing he could do.  
“Theo. I’m sorry-”  
He wasn’t in the mood for Scott’s attempts to diffuse the situation. “Wow, thanks Scott. That makes everything okay.” He hung up, narrowly avoiding slamming the phone down.

A setback. That’s all it was.  
He could handle one setback.  
“Everything alright, Theo?” Jenna’s soft voice eased a little of the tension.  
“It will be. It’s just Liam’s friends.”  
Jenna moved to sit at the counter beside him. If anyone understood how important this was, it was Jenna. They had spoken about how she wished Liam could have had an easier time growing up. When he mentioned the surprise party, Jenna had jumped at the opportunity. She was also the only person to see exactly how much time he put into today.  
“They’re your friends as well, Theo. I understand you’re stressed, but you need to take a moment to remember why we’re here. Liam wouldn’t want you getting worked up over him. We want you to enjoy the party as well.” Jenna had a way of cutting through his mask and seeing the truth. She had since the day he moved in.  
“You’re right. As usual.” He laughed at Jenna’s knowing smile.  
“Just promise me you won’t burn the house down.”  
“I appreciate the confidence, Jenna.”  
“We both know you don’t cook. Have you forgotten what happened last time?”  
“That was _one_ time.” Okay, so he wasn’t the best cook. That didn’t mean he _couldn’t_ cook.  
“One time in which you melted the pot and your sleeve caught fire.” Yeah, not his finest moment. Thankfully, Liam hadn’t been home at the time. Jenna showed him mercy and promised she wouldn’t say anything.  
“I have it under control. I have the recipes on hand and I’m wearing short sleeves. What could go wrong?” He couldn’t help but grin.  
“Good luck. You’ll need it.” Jenna stood up to leave, but he didn’t miss her laughing when he called, “I’ll show you!”

The water was boiling nicely, so he added some diced vegetables. A sprinkle of chilli powder and the sauce was ready to simmer.  
Now for the cake.  
Who knew so much went into one cake? The recipe comprised ingredient after ingredient, step after step. No wonder people bought them instead. No one would ever know how sauntering baking a cake was for him. He could do this. He could.  
He collected the supplies he needed, starting with a large bowl. Having spread them out, it was time for the first ingredients.  
“Pre-heat oven. Check. Baking tray covered in baking paper. Check.” So far, so good. “One and half cups of flour, one and a half cups of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Check.” This was easier than he’d thought. Before he knew it, the cake was in the oven and the frosting prepared. Checking on the stove, everything was where it was supposed to be. Who said he didn’t know how to cook? Wait until Jenna sees this.

That left him with enough time to change. Last night, he’d spent hours deciding on the perfect outfit. He’d decided on his black fitted jeans and a purple shirt Liam loved. If only his hair was as simple. Nothing seemed right. It was either too straight, too flat or too messy. Yes. He knew he was overthinking again. Liam wouldn’t care how he styled his hair, but his mind was full of doubts. After several tries, he was ready to go.  
Dressed. Check. Dinner. Check.  
A shrill chirp rung through the house. Why was the smoke detector going off? He hadn’t been gone long, only... an hour?! How had it been an hour? He _can’t_ have spent that long on his hair! There was no denying the time, when he was staring down a clock. Wait, but that means... the vegetables!  
“No, no, no!”  
He sprinted downstairs, barely hearing Jenna’s amused “You better not have started a fire, Theo.”  
He hadn’t moved this fast since the war; rushing to turn the stove off. Unfortunately, he knocked the pot handle in the process, which sent the pot flying. The water and vegetables covered the tiles, narrowly avoiding his legs as he jumped back.  
It’s okay. So they wouldn’t have dinner. They still had the cake.  
The cake!  
A plume of smoke emerged as soon as he’d opened the door. “Shit!” There was no way to salvage it.  
The cake was black.  
It was also hot.  
Extremely hot.

He dropped the tray on the bench and went to run his hands under water. Sure, it would heal, but Chimera or not, burns hurt. He winced at the resounding crack from under his foot. One look confirmed what he already knew. The CD he’d made was now in two pieces. Not only the cover, but the disk itself.  
No music it is.

 _Nothing_ would stop this party.

As long as he had dessert, he’d make it work.  
He’d never understand how Liam could eat this. He’d never tasted something so sweet before. It was sickening and the one and only time he’d tried it; he was sick afterwards. To this day, it was the only time he’d been sick and it wouldn’t be happening again. Liam, on the other hand, loved all things dessert. The dates, having been soaking for an hour, were soft enough to blend. He just had to mix the ingredients and let it set...  
So, _of course_ the lid came off. The mixture splattered the walls, bench and him. He was seething. “Oh, come on!” His clothes were stained, his hair wet and sticky. His hair, which he’d spent so long fixing. His hair, which was the only reason he was in this mess. He didn’t have time for this.  
“Would you like some-?” Jenna froze in the doorway, mouth open as if she wanted to talk but was at a loss for words. “Let me rephrase that. You need help.”  
“It’s not funny.” He couldn’t care less if he was groaning. He had every right to be irritated.  
“Only you could have this much bad luck.”  
“Everything’s falling apart.” It’s not fair. All he wanted was to make Liam’s birthday special.  
“Tell you what. Why don’t I help you clean up and we’ll start again?” This is why he loved Jenna. He could always count on her. They could still do this. They just needed more time.

Mason picked up as soon as he called, which was an enormous relief. “Mason. I need you to stall a little longer. Another hour or two.”  
There was a pause before he heard Mason reply, albeit hesitantly. “Yeah. I can’t do that.”  
“Why not?” He felt his suspicion and anger building, dreading the answer.  
“I lost Liam.”  
“You what?! How could you lose him?!”  
“I left to buy some drinks and when I came back, he was gone.”  
“He’s a person, Mason, not a set of keys! Find him!”  
“Have you met Liam?” Mason had no grounds to sound that sarcastic. Not when he’d just admitted to _losing_ his boyfriend.  
“I have and unlike you, _I_ know how to keep track of him.”  
“What do you want me to say, Theo? It’s not like he’s answering his phone.”  
“Dammit Mason! Where are you?”  
“The bowling alley.”  
“The bowl-” He was talking to an imbecile. He really was. “Are you kidding me?! Liam hates bowling!”  
The sound of shuffling filled the speaker, Mason ‘whispering’ to who he assumed was Corey. Did no one remember he could hear them? How they’d managed to beat him once, was beyond his understanding. “You _wanted_ Liam to hate it! You were supposed to keep him _happy_!”  
A loud squeak surfaced; apparently Mason hadn’t expected him to respond. Maybe next time, they’d learn to be more discreet. “I figured he’d enjoy the party more if he was bored first.”  
“You’re his best friend! You should have _known_ Liam would never stick around! I’m never leaving you in charge again!”

“Why don’t we stop fighting and fix this?”  
“Liam will be coming home. When did he leave?”  
“Ah...”  
This was the hardest he’d had to work to control his anger in years. It had become second nature to him. Grinding his teeth to relieve some of his mounting tension, he repeated the question. This time making it clear he expected an answer. “When did Liam leave?”  
Tentative. That was the only word to describe the sound of Mason’s muttered, “20 minutes ago?” He could hear the hesitation, the unease. Three words. Three words was all it took to push him over the edge.  
“You lost Liam 20 minutes ago and you’re only telling me _now_?!” What started off slow and forced, morphed into a furious scream by the end.  
“Theo-”  
“He’ll be here any minute-” The sound of the front door opening cut him off.  
“Shit!” He hissed, shoving the phone in his pocket.  
“Theo?” Footsteps drew a map to where Liam was, halfway through the hallway. He had but a matter of seconds.

“Don’t come in here!”  
“Why not?” It was impossible to miss the sudden change, the concern. It also did nothing to halt Liam’s movement.  
“No, don’t-!” Too late. Liam was standing in the same spot Jenna had, in stunned silence.  
“What the...”  
He was done. The day couldn’t end soon enough. Crossing his arms, he looked away. Anywhere was better than looking Liam in the eyes.  
“Why don’t I leave you boys to talk?” Jenna suggested. Jenna. He’d been so fixated on Liam, he’d forgotten she was there. With Jenna gone, it was just Liam and himself. Somehow, knowing they were alone made it worse. To say he was uncomfortable was putting it lightly.  
“What happened?”  
“It was supposed to be a surprise.” There was a bitter edge to his tone. He couldn’t do anything right.  
“A surprise? Why would you be-?” - Liam’s breath hitched. “It was a surprise party. That’s why Mason insisted on bowling.”  
“That was _not_ part of the plan. I didn’t want you to be bored out of your mind.” There was no way he would be connected to that ridiculous idea.  
“That’s nice to know. I didn’t think it was though. Mason seemed more than a little unsure of what to do.” He took a shaky breath. Liam didn’t seem upset, which was a relief. If only he could say the same.

“Yeah, well. It didn’t work.”  
“It’s okay, Theo.”  
“It’s not! It’s a disaster!” When he turned to face Liam, his gaze was full of regret. “I failed.”  
“You did _not_ fail.”  
“Li-”  
“I don’t want to hear it. So, a few things went wrong, so what?”  
“A few? Liam, look around you! It’s looks like the kitchen exploded!”  
The fluttering sensation of tears appeared, taunting him with their presence. He wasn’t going to cry. He just wasn’t. Liam took a step closer, bridging the gap, but he pulled away. “Hey, look at me.” He couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he was struggling to fight back tears. “Theo.” He flinched at the weight on his cheek, Liam’s hand a gentle plea to turn back. Eyes closed, he breathed in Liam’s scent, eliciting an instant calmness to flow through him, albeit small. “Please.”  
When he finally relented, he was met with understanding. There was no disappointment, no blame in the way Liam held his gaze. There was only love. “I’m sorry.”  
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”  
“I ruined everything. I ruined your birthday.” Self-deprecation seemed to be an innate emotion, as if programmed. It was as much a part of him as his DNA was.  
“This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”  
“Yeah, right.” He scoffed loudly. “I’m didn’t ask for your pity.”  
“Theo, you planned an entire party for me. It may not have gone to plan, but that doesn’t change the intent behind it. You wanted to cook everything yourself, you stress about every little detail. Having someone who is willing to do that for me is more than I could ever ask for.” Liam meant every word. “I would have been happy to just watch movies.”  
“I just wanted to make today special.”  
“I know you did, that’s one of the reasons I love you. It’s perfect. As long as I have you, I have everything I could ever need.”  
He had to smile at that. “You’re such a sap.”  
“You can’t help yourself, can you?” Okay, so maybe today wasn’t a _complete_ write off.  
“Where’s the fun in that?”

“There is another reason I love today.”  
“What’s that?” Something told him to be cautious, the grin setting off his suspicions. A suspicion which proved to be warranted.  
“I got to see you covered in food.” Liam laughed.  
“I’m happy to share.” Smirking, he moved in for a hug. “Come here.”  
“I have a better idea. Smile.” Liam’s grin grew, the unexpected flash catching him off guard. By the time he registered Liam had taken a photo of him, Liam was gone. He could still hear Liam laughing from upstairs.  
“Liam!” He took off after Liam. Liam wasn’t as innocent as he’d like you to think.

“Don’t you _dare_ send that photo!”

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! Liam’s birthday.
> 
> I wrote this whilst working on the next chapter of ‘A Tall Order’.
> 
> This was an idea I had which soon turned into four. This is what happens when I try to concentrate and plan a story; I end up with comparisons which turn into a storyline of their own.
> 
> Oh, well. It just means there will be more to come. 😄
> 
> I hope y’all enjoy. 😄


End file.
